REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. CXVII 



the shipment of qniuiiat salmon in a fresh condition, which may sooner or Liter come 

 to exceed the supply, we venture to suggest the possibly greater advantages to be 

 gained by the artificial hatching of that species. 



(13) We are convinced that the remedial measures which have heretofore been 

 adopted, although not enforced, for disposing of the fish ott'al from the canneries on 

 the Fraser River are inadequate to accomplish the results intended, and are also to 

 a large extent impracticable. The practice of throwing this waste material into the 

 river is to be deprecated on general principles; but, except in respect to a few local- 

 ities, no specific evidence has been presented to indicate that it may be detrimental 

 either to the health of the community or to the welfare of the salmon, and there is 

 no proof that the latter have suffered from this cause. It seems to ns that as much, 

 if not greater, harm would result from dumping the offal in the open waters off the 

 entrance to the river as from its disposition in the customary manner in the vicinity 

 of the canneries, pi'oviding the necessary precautions are taken. So far as we have 

 been able to ascertain, when thrown into the current of the river in a fresh condi- 

 tion it is practically always dissipated, and produces a nuisance only when placed in 

 quiet, shallow water, or in eddies, which tend to retain it along tlie shores or to 

 carry it into the adjacent sloughs. Factories established for converting it into 

 oil and fertilizer have failed of success, nor is there any apparent prospect of its 

 extensive utilization in tlie innnediate future. 



While suggesting renewed inquiries for reaching a more satisfactory solution of 

 this question, we are constrained to recommend that for the present the current prac- 

 tice be allowed to continue, under such restrictions as may be called for to prevent 

 the accumulation of the offal in any situations where its effect can be shown to be 

 prejudicial. The fishery officer of the district should be empowered to designate all 

 places wliere the throwing in of this waste should not be permitted. 



Xo complaints respecting tlie offal in the vicinity of the canneries in the State of 

 Washington have been leceived from any source, nor do any regulations regarding 

 the manner of its disposition in that region seem to be called for at present. 



(14) Waste from sawmills and otlier substances deleterious to the salmon should 

 not be allowed to pass into any streams which they frequent. 



FUR-SEAL INVESTIGATIONS. 



The Fish Commission steamer Albatross was detailed by the Presi- 

 dent for duty in connection with the investigation of tlie fnr-seal question 

 in Bering Sea. The inquiries, which were, by act of Congress, placed 

 under the direction of the Secretary of the Treasury, were addressed to 

 the condition of the seal herds on the Pribilof, Commander, and Kuril 

 islands, and were conducted by a scientific commission appointed by the 

 President, consisting of Dr. D. S. Jordan, in charge; Mr. Leonhard 

 Stejneger and Mr. F. A. Lucas, of the U. S. National Museum; Lieut. 

 Commander Jeft'. F. Moser, U. S. N., commanding steamer Albatross ; Mr. 

 C. H. Town send, naturalist of the Albatross ; Col. Joseph Murray, special 

 agent of the Treasury Department, and Mr. G. A. Clark, secretary. A 

 similar commission was appointed by the British Government, the mem- 

 bers being Prof. D'Arcy W. Thompson of University College, Dundee, 

 Scotland; Mr. James M. Macoun, of the Geological Survey of Canada; 

 Mr. G. E. H. Barrett- Hamilton, and Mr. A. Marett, photographer. 



As stated in the last report, the Albatross left Seattle on Juno 24, 

 189G, having on board all the United States representatives and all the 

 British representatives except Mr. Barrett-Hamilton. The party was 



